Saffron clad protesters paint Anandabazar Patrika over 'saffron hooliganism' remark
On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, in the afternoon, a group of saffron-clad men protested outside the Anandabazar Patrika office in Kolkata, upset over the newspaper calling recent university clashes "saffron hooliganism."
They painted parts of the building saffron and chanted slogans like "Anandabazar Patrika hai hai" / "Anandabazar Patrika shame shame."
Police were there but did not step in, and videos of the protest were now viral on social media.
Anandabazar Patrika repaints building, faces FIR
The newspaper later repainted its building. This protest followed an FIR accusing Anandabazar Patrika of offending Hindu sentiments.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari demanded an apology, but the paper did not issue one.
Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh called the protest, "There can be differences of opinion with the editorial matters of the media. There can be protests. But in this way, through brute force. The ongoing attacks all around, with that governmental support, this display of muscle power by the uncultured brutes has struck an ugly blow at Bengal's image," while the Indian Women's Press Corps and the Press Association issued a statement and asked for the immediate withdrawal of the FIR against the two journalists.